Kindergarten Presentation Ready, Set, Go! Kindergarten Presentation “At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child's success is the positive involvement of parents.” Jane D. Hull

Welcome to the World of Kindergarten! Kindergarten is a FUN year! It is also the FOUNDATION for your child’s education – It’s important to get the right start! We believe in parent-teacher-school partnerships!

Kindergarten Schedules Each Kindergarten teacher has two sessions—Early Birds and Late Birds (Later Gators) This allows teachers to have a smaller class size in the morning and in the afternoon, with a short overlap that includes all students

Transitional Kindergarten Transitional Kindergarten is the first year of a two-year Kindergarten program that uses a modified curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate. TK has its own instructional standards and curriculum. Eligible Class Fifth Birthday Transitional Kindergarten 9/2/12 to 12/2/12 (summer 2012 birthdays can be admitted to TK if appropriate and space permits) Kindergarten Must be five years-old by 9/1/12

Kindergarten Today Kindergarten has changed since we were young Kindergarten California Standards ELA http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/finalelaccssstandards.pdf Math http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/ccssmathstandardaug2013.pdf Curriculum ELA: Scholastic Big Day (TK) and McGraw Hills Wonders (K) Math: Big Day (TK) and Go Math (K)

It’s Not All About Academics Gross and Fine Motor Skills: Developing large and small muscles Social Emotional: Developing skills to get along with others, take turns, interact with peers, deal with emotions appropriately, etc. Oral Language: Developing vocabulary, sentence structure*, and academic language (This is the foundation for success in reading, writing, and other subject areas) * Ensure your child is speaking in complete sentences to increase oral language

Social Emotional Development Your child should be able to… Interact with other children Take direction from adults other than parents Focus on an activity for at least 10 minutes Have a positive attitude about school Make a non-tearful break from parents Handle bathroom activities by him/herself

Early Literacy Skills Exposure to letters—both capital and lowercase Start slow Experience is the goal, not mastery…yet Keep it fun! By the end of Kindergarten, children will be reading emergent-reader texts

Phonological Awareness Exposure to oral language Rhyming skills Read Dr. Seuss and other rhyming books Play with words and language

Read, Read, and Read Some More Reading with your child is SO IMPORTANT! Discuss stories (predict what will happen next, ask questions, talk about the story and pictures) Remember that re-reading the same book is OK Visit the library on a regular basis Murrieta Public Library Eight Town Square Murrieta, CA 92562 Phone: (951) 304-BOOK

Oral Language Development Talk to your child: Ask them questions about their day. Who did you play with? What did you do? Help them answer in complete sentences, i.e. I played with Joey and Susie today in the backyard. When reading, have them retell the story or a part of it using as much detail as possible. Ask questions to get them to add more details, i.e. Where was the cat?

Fine & Gross Motor Skills Build up hand-strength (See resources at end of PPT) Expose your child to cutting with scissors Provide child-size scissors Teach to cut away from the body Play games that involve catching, running, jumping, etc.

Number Sense Expose students to numbers Count objects (also a good fine motor activity) Play board games that require students to count Keep it fun!

Colors and Shapes Expose them to shapes and colors in their environment Identify shapes and colors during daily activities Again, keep it fun!

This Summer Read to and with your child Discuss school in a positive manner Implement appropriate school schedules Attend Kindergarten Orientation at your school Use resources at the end of this presentation to support exposure to Kindergarten skills

The First Day of Kindergarten Be sure to follow the school bedtime plan you began during the summer Try to have a relaxing morning - Be prepared!!! Smile and say, “Have a great day! I’ll see you soon!” Hold back your tears

Partnership Between Home and School Ensure your child gets plenty of sleep each night Attendance is key! Make sure your child is at school on time everyday! Model being a reader and read daily with your child Make sure that students are returning all important school communication and assignments in a timely manner

District Childcare SEED – Student Enrichment and Extended Day Offered at all elementary sites, some AM and some PM Importance of early registration!!! Registration at Family Services Office at Avaxat Elementary School (Las Brisas Rd) See District Website for more information

We’ll See You When School Starts! This summer will go by very quickly! You will continue to be amazed by your child’s growth and progress. Thank you for coming today. You have made an important step in creating a partnership with your child’s school that will ensure his/her future success.

Kindergarten Resources Kindergarten Readiness Calendar Readiness Activities TK Brochure Fine Motor Ideas (copy and paste link below to view): http://www.ot-mom-learning-activities.com/kindergarten-hand-exercises.html#Kindergartenhandexercises Summer Readiness Packet (available online) Packet containing concepts and activities to work on at home. It also includes social and academic skill practice